Non-Fiction Catalogue: November 2017

All the books in this catalogue are new books due for release in November 2017.

Because they are new books, we are at the whim of the publishers and, to some extent, the shipping companies – books can sometimes arrive later (or earlier) than, or occasionally be a different retail price, than originally quoted. Because space is a luxury, we bring in limited quantities of books. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Please reserve copies of anything you want, so you don’t miss out – ASAP! If a book has sold out by the time we receive your order, we will back-order and supply, when available. Pulp Fiction has access to thousands of books not shown in our monthly catalogues. We are only too happy to order anything, if we don’t have it on the shelves.

If you can’t make it into the shop, you can post, phone, or e-mail your order. We accept Mastercard, Visa, AMEX, cheques, and Australia Post Money Orders. Approximate current postage, within Australia, is:

1–2 paperbacks (up to 500g), $7.95

2–10 paperbacks or any trade paperbacks or hardcovers, within Brisbane, is $10.60

New Osprey military history titles

Sturmgeschütz: Panzer, Panzerjäger, Waffen-SS and Luftwaffe Units 1943–45Anderson, Thomas
First established in 1940, the Sturmgeschütz assault guns were purpose-built vehicles intended to support the infantry during the phase of attack and breakthrough of enemy positions. During the eastern campaign the Sturmgeschütz proved to be potent tanks destroyers, able to reliably defeat even T-34 and KV heavy tanks. Cheaper and quicker to produce than the German Panzers, it was deployed widely and with great success forming an integral part of armoured units, particularly in the final desperate days of the war when tank production could not keep up with the needs of the war effort. Drawing on original material from German archives and private collections, and replete with over 200 images, this book tells the thrilling story of the Wehrmacht’s unsung workhorse in the final years of World War II.Military history | HC | $59.99

The Hindenburg Line 1918: Haig’s Forgotten Triumph (Campaign 315)McCluskey, Alistair & Dennis, Peter (illustrator)
From 26 September until 8 October 1918, the Allied armies in France launched their largest ever combined offensive on the Western Front of World War I. The British, French, American and Belgian armies launched four attacks in rapid succession across a 250km front between the Argonne and Flanders. At the centre of this huge assault the British, First, Third and Fourth Armies, led by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, breached the formidable Hindenburg Line defences and drove the Kaiser’s Army from its last fully prepared defensive position west of the German border.Military history | PBK | $29.99

German Soldier versus Soviet Soldier: Stalingrad 1942–43 (Combat 28)McNab, Chris & Shumate, Johnny (illustrator)
By the end of the first week of November 1942, the German Sixth Army held about 90 per cent of Stalingrad. Yet the Soviets stubbornly held on to the remaining parts of the city, and German casualties started to reach catastrophic levels. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Hitler decided to send additional German pioneer battalions to act as an urban warfare spearhead. These combat engineers were skilled in all aspects of city fighting, especially in the use of demolitions and small arms to overcome defended positions and in the destruction of armoured vehicles. Facing them were hardened Soviet troops who had perfected the use of urban camouflage, concealed and interlocking firing positions, close quarters battle, and sniper support.Military history | PBK | $27.99

Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Torpedo-Bomber Units (Combat Aircraft 106)Mattioli, Marco; Caruana, Richard (illustrator) & Postlethwaite, Mark (illustrator)
Italy’s most successful wartime bomber, the S.79 saw combat with the Regia Aeronautica in France, Yugoslavia, Greece, North Africa, East Africa and in the Mediterranean. Initially developed as a transport, the aircraft evolved into a dedicated medium bomber during the Spanish Civil War, in 1936. The manufacturer then produced the S.79-II torpedo-bomber which entered service in 1939 – which primarily saw service against the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. Illustrated with 30 full colour profiles of the main units that saw action with either the Regia Aeronautica, or the ANR, this title is the first of two volumes to cover the development history and wartime performance of the S.79.Military history | PBK | $27.99

B-29 Superfortress versus Ki-44 ‘Tojo’: Pacific Theatre 1944–45 (Duel 82)Nijboer, Donald; Laurier, Jim (illustrator) & Hector, Gareth (illustrator)
By the time the Americans began their aerial bombardment of Japan in 1944, both the JAAF and IJNAF were spent forces. What the Japanese did have though was the Ki-44 ‘Tojo’. Armed with two 40mm cannon, it was the most heavily armed and feared single-seat fighter to see action against the new American bomber, the B-29 Superfortress. For the bomber crews, they had what they believed was their ‘ace in the hole’: a fully-armed B-29 carried four remotely operated gun turrets and a tail gunner’s position, making it the world’s most advanced self-defending bomber.Military history | PBK | $27.99

European Counter-Terrorist Units 1972–2017 (Elite 220)Neville, Leigh & Hook, Adam (illustrator)
The Munich Olympics massacre, in 1972, was a shock awakening to the public. In the decades since, European countries have faced a wide range of threats from Palestinian and homegrown terrorists, to the more recent worldwide jihadists. The threats they pose are widespread from aircraft hijacking and political assassinations to urban warfare against security forces, and murderous attacks on civilian crowd targets, forcing governments have had to invest ever-greater efforts, in countering these threats.Military history | PBK | $21.99

US Navy Escort Carriers 1942–45 (New Vanguard 251)Stille, Mark & Wright, Paul (illustrator)
While not as famous as their larger and faster sister ships, such as the Essex- and Yorktown-class carriers, escort carriers made an enormous contribution towards Allied victory both in the Pacific and Atlantic theatres. Rather than relying on size or speed, it was their sheer numbers that made them so effective. Indeed, the Casablanca-class escort carrier was the most-produced aircraft carrier in history. In partnership with the Royal Navy, they provided the backbone of Allied anti-submarine efforts in the Atlantic, finally and irrevocably turning the tide of the war against the U-boats in 1943. In the Pacific, they provided the air cover for the series of landings which led to the doorstep of Japan by 1945. These robust ships faced submarine, air, and even surface threats from the Japanese, but proved able to contend with everything thrown their way.Military history | PBK | $22.99

The ‘Broomhandle’ Mauser (Weapon 58)Ferguson, Jonathan & Dennis, Peter (illustrator)
At a time when most handguns were limited to six rounds, the ten-shot Mauser caught the attention of the world for its unprecedented firepower and formidable high-velocity 7.63×25mm cartridge. This saw its ultimate expression in the first-ever select-fire handgun – the Schnellfeuer machine pistol, fed by a detachable magazine and offering both full-automatic and single-shot modes. The C 96 was the first semi-automatic pistol to see combat, arming both sides in the Second Anglo-Boer War, and seeing service with the German, Russian, Chinese and other militaries. Widely purchased commercially, it was carried by none other than Winston Churchill in the Sudan and South Africa, became prized by the Irish Republican Army and Soviet revolutionaries, and even armed Han Solo in the Star Wars movies.Military history | PBK | $27.99

TSR2: Britain’s Lost Cold War Strike Jet (X-Planes 5)Brookes, Andrew & Tooby, Adam
The TSR2 is one of the greatest ‘what-if’ aircraft of the Cold War, whose cancellation still generates anger and controversy among aviation fans. It was a magnificent, cutting-edge aircraft, one of the most striking of the Cold War, but fell victim to cost overruns, overambitious requirements, and politics. Its scrapping marked the point when Britain’s aerospace industry could no longer build world-class aircraft independently. After the demise of TSR2 the RAF’s future jets would be modifiedUS aircraft like the Phantom and pan-European collaborations like Tornado and Typhoon.Military history | PBK | $24.99

Non-fiction

What’s Next? What Science Can Tell Us About Our Fascinating FutureAl-Khalili, Jim
Want to know what’s next, for the human race? Step into Jim Al-Khalili’s time machine… Thought the science of the future was all hoverboards and space travel? Think again. Every day, scientists come up with the ingenious solutions and surprising discoveries that will define our future. So, here, Jim Al-Khalili and his crack team of experts bin the crystal ball and use cutting-edge science to get a glimpse of what’s in store. From whether teleportation is really possible (spoiler: it is), to what we’ll do if Artificial Intelligence takes over, this book takes on the big questions. And along the way, it’ll answer questions like Will we find a cure to all diseases? An answer to climate change? Will bionics make us into superheroes? Touching on everything from genetics to transport, and nanotechnology to teleportation, this is a fascinating, fun and informative look at what’s in store for the human race.Science | PBK | $19.99

How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety (and abstinence, drugs, Satanism, and other dangers that threaten their nine lives)Auburn, Zachary
Long gone are the good old days when a cat’s biggest worries were mean dogs or a bath. Modern cats must confront Satanists, online predators, the possibility of needing to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and countless other threats to their nine lives. For over four decades, the American Association of Patriots have stood at the vanguard of our country’s defence by helping to prepare our nation’s cat owners for the difficult conversations they dread having with their pets. Written in a simple Q&A format, this volume answers crucial questions such as, ‘What is the right age to talk to my cat about the proper use of firearms?’ and ‘What are the benefits of my cat living a lifestyle of abstinence?’ and especially ‘Why does my cat need to use the internet? Can’t he just play with yarn like cats used to do?’ America – and our cats – stand at a precipice. It will take courage, and it will take hard work, but armed with the knowledge within these pages, we can make our cats – and America – great again!Cats/humour | PBK | $16.99

The Puzzle Ninja: Pit Your Wits Against the Japanese PuzzleBellos, Alex
The Japanese logic puzzle is one of the most addictive products known to man. Alex Bellos travelled to Tokyo to meet the puzzle masters behind these habit-forming brainteasers and brought back over 200 puzzles that will flex, stretch, and blow your mind. Can you beat the puzzle masters to become a puzzle ninja? Puzzles are so enjoyable. They get your brain sparking and the competitive spirit flowing. Solving them is one of life’s simple pleasures. The puzzle masters of Japan create the world’s most satisfying puzzles, so Alex Bellos travelled to Tokyo to meet them. These enigmatologists include the godfather of Sudoku, the winner of the World Puzzle Championships, an inspiring teacher who uses games to enliven his students’ maths lessons, and the puzzle poet whose name has become a Sudoku solving technique. They use noms de guerre – Edamame, Lenin, Teatime, Sesame Egg – and each has a distinctive style. What unites them are their megawatt brains and the beauty of their handcrafted puzzles, which will challenge and sharpen your mind. Bellos has collected over 200 of their most ingenious puzzles, rated from easy to excruciating; and introduces 20 new types of addictive problems, including Shakashaka and Marupeke. Arm yourself with pencil, eraser and laserlike focus. Let’s get puzzling…Puzzles | PBK | $29.99

The Maths Behind… Discover the Mathematics Behind Everyday EventsBeveridge, Colin
Taking moments from everyday life and looking at the maths and science behind why they happen, this book examines everything from how to measure the speed of a tennis serve, to the maths behind spam emails. Have you ever wondered why traffic jams often turn out to have no cause when you get to the end of the queue? There’s a mathematical explanation for that. Or ever considered whether some lotteries might be easier to win than others? There’s a formula for that too. If you’ve ever been curious about the mathematical strings that hold our world together, then look no further. This intriguing and illuminating book takes a scientific view of your everyday world, and can give you the answers to all the niggling questions in your life, along with many you never even thought to ask. From the science behind roller coasters, to the maths behind how to consistently win at Monopoly (and become very unpopular with your family), this is a fascinating look at the mathematical forces that run beneath our everyday transactions.Mathematics | PBK | $26.99

Armageddon and Paranoia: The Nuclear ConfrontationBraithwaite, Rodric
Nuclear weapons exist and so does the possibility of worldwide annihilation. How did we reach this terrifying reality? In 1945, the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and old ideas of warfare came to an end. This book tells how the power of the atom was harnessed to produce weapons capable of destroying human civilisation. There were few villains in the story. On both sides of the Iron Curtain, dedicated scientists cracked the secrets of nature, dutiful military men planned to use the bomb in war, politicians contemplated with a potentially intolerable decision. Patriotic citizens acquiesced in the idea that their country needed the ultimate means of defence. Some tried to grapple with the unanswerable question: what end could possibly be served by such a fearsome means? Those who protested went unheard. None wanted to start a nuclear war, but all were paranoid. The danger of war by accident or misjudgement was never entirely absent. Rodric Braithwaite paints a vivid and thought-provoking portrait of this intense period in history. Its implications are as relevant today as they ever were, as ignorant and thoughtless talk about nuclear war begins to spread, once more.Armageddon | HC | $49.99

Ends of the World: Supervolcanoes, Lethal Oceans, and the Search for Past ApocalypsesBrannen, Peter
Over the past decade, there has been a revolution in our understanding of global apocalypses. Armed with new technology, scientists have dived into deep time to examine our planet’s near-death experiences. The bad news is that they look eerily like our future. Take a wild ride through the crime scenes, from South Africa to the New York Palisades. Meet the obsessive, off-kilter personalities using cutting-edge forensic tools to piece together the weird and wonderful clues hiding in the fossil record dragonflies the size of seagulls and fishes with guillotines for mouths. A rip-roaring chronicle and a cautionary tale, The Ends of the World reveals how these five near extinctions gave rise to our modern world, while providing a terrifying window onto what may lie ahead.Natural history | HC | $35.99

Come, Tell Me How You Live: Memories from Archaeological Expeditions in the Mysterious Middle EastChristie, Agatha
Think you know Agatha Christie? Think again! To the world she was Agatha Christie, legendary author of bestselling whodunits. But, in the 1930s, she wore a different hat, travelling with her husband, renowned archaeologist Max Mallowan, as he investigated the buried ruins and ancient wonders of Syria and Iraq. When friends asked what this strange ‘other life’ was like, she decided to answer their questions by writing down her adventures in this eye-opening book. Described by the author as a ‘meandering chronicle of life on an archaeological dig’, Come, Tell Me How You Live is Agatha Christie’s very personal memoir of her time spent in this breathtaking corner of the globe, living among the working men in tents in the desert where recorded human history began. Acclaimed as ‘a pure pleasure to read’, it is an altogether remarkable and increasingly poignant narrative, a fascinating, vibrant and vivid portrait of everyday life in a world now long since vanished.Memoir | HC | $29.99

Universal: A Guide to the CosmosCox, Brian & Forshaw, Jeff
We dare to imagine a time before the Big Bang, when the entire Universe was compressed into a space smaller than an atom. And now, as Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw show, we can do more than imagine: we can understand. Over the centuries, the human urge to discover has unlocked an incredible amount of knowledge. What it reveals to us is breathtaking. Universal takes us on an epic journey of scientific exploration and, in doing so, reveals how we can all understand some of the most fundamental questions about our Earth, Sun, Solar System and the star-filled galaxies beyond. Some of these questions – How big is our solar system? How fast is space expanding? – can be answered from your back garden; the answers to others – How big is the Universe? What is it made of? – draw on the astonishing information now being gathered at the frontiers of the known universe. Science reveals a deeper beauty, connects us to our world, and to our Universe; and, by understanding the groundbreaking work of others, reaches out into the unknown. What’s more, as Universal shows us, if we dare to imagine, we can all do it.Science | PBK | $22.99

Man Versus Big Data: Everyday Data ExplainedCowley, Stewart & Lyewood, Joe (illustrator)
Have you ever wondered how to beat the bookies? How does your computer know you might like this song? And should you be worried about this? Everything we do leaves a trail of data behind, from buying something on a credit card, to using a GPS-enabled mobile phone – whether you know it or not, like it or not, Big Data is now a part of modern life. Heralded as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is now more crucial than ever to learn about how data is affecting the way we live. Exploring the numerous ways in which ‘Big Data’ has, sometimes imperceptibly, infiltrated our lives, this accessible and informative book looks at one of the most important subjects facing us today, and helps you get to grips with what that means for you. With quirky, humorous illustrations this important book distils the complexities of the most absorbing statistics and data of modern life, showing us how understanding a little more can help improve your life.Maths | PBK | $18.99

Chronicles of a Liquid SocietyEco, Umberto
Umberto Eco was an international cultural superstar. A celebrated essayist as well as novelist, in this, his last collection, he explores many aspects of the modern world with irrepressible curiosity and wisdom. A crisis in ideological values, a crisis in politics, unbridled individualism – the familiar backdrop to our lives: a ‘liquid society’ where it’s not easy to find a polestar, though stars and starlets are not lacking. In these pieces, written by Eco as articles for his regular column in l’Espresso magazine, he brings his dazzling erudition and keen sense of the everyday to bear on topics such as popular culture and politics, being seen, conspiracies, the old and the young, mobile phones, mass media, racism, good manners and the crisis in ideological values. It is a final gift to his readers – astute, witty and illuminating.Literary essay collection | HC | $45.00

A Short History of DrunkennessForsyth, Mark
Almost every culture on earth has drink, and where there’s drink there’s drunkenness. But in every age and in every place drunkenness is a little bit different. It can be religious, it can be sexual, it can be the duty of kings or the relief of peasants. It can be an offering to the ancestors, or a way of marking the end of a day’s work. It can send you to sleep, or send you into battle. A Short History of Drunkenness traces humankind’s love affair with booze – from our primate ancestors through to Prohibition and modern Japanese Nomikai. On the way, learn about the Neolithic Shamans, who drank to communicate with the spirit world (no pun intended), marvel at the beer King Midas was buried with, and attempt to resist the urge to try the Aztecs’ alcoholic hot chocolate. From Australia’s only military coup – the Rum Rebellion – to the gin epidemic of eighteenth-century London, Forsyth elegantly presents a history of the world at its inebriated best.Social history | HC | $29.99

May We Borrow Your Language? How English Steals Words from All Over the WorldGooden, Philip
The English language that is spoken by one billion people around the world is a linguistic mongrel, its vocabulary a diverse mix resulting from centuries of borrowing from other tongues. From the Celtic languages of pre-Roman Britain to Norman French; from the Vikings’ Old Scandinavian to Persian, Sanskrit, Algonquian, Cantonese and Hawaiian – amongst a host of others – we have enriched our modern language with such words as tulip, slogan, doolally, avocado, moccasin, ketchup, and ukulele. May We Borrow Your Language? explores the intriguing and unfamiliar stories behind scores of familiar words that the English language has filched from abroad; in so doing, it also sheds fascinating light on the wider history of the development of the English we speak today. Full of etymological nuggets to intrigue and delight the reader, this is a gift book for word buffs to cherish – as cerebrally stimulating as it is more-ishly entertaining.Language/cultural history | PBK | $19.99

SR-71: The Complete Illustrated History of the Blackbird, the World’s Highest, Fastest PlaneGraham, Richard H
At the height of the Cold War in 1964, President Johnson announced a new aircraft dedicated to strategic reconnaissance. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane flew more than three-and-a-half times the speed of sound, so fast that no other aircraft could catch it. Above 80,000 feet, its pilots had to wear full-pressure flight suits, similar to what was used aboard the space shuttle. Developed by the renowned Lockheed Skunk Works, the SR-71 was an awesome aircraft in every respect, and it took the world by storm. The SR-71 was in service with the US Air Force from 1964 to 1998, when it was withdrawn from use, superseded by satellite technology. Twelve of the thirty-two aircraft were destroyed in accidents, but none were ever lost to enemy action. Throughout its thirty-four-year career, the SR-71 was the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft. It set world records for altitude and speed: an absolute altitude record of 85,069 feet on July 28, 1974, and an absolute speed record of 2,193.2 miles per hour on the same day. On September 1, 1974, it set a speed and time record over a recognised course between New York and London (3,508 miles) of 1,435.587 miles per hour and an elapsed time of 1 hour, 54 minutes, 56.4 seconds. SR-71 covers every aspect of the SR-71’s development, manufacture, modification, and active service from the insider’s perspective of one its pilots and is lavishly illustrated with more than 200 photos.Aviation history | PBK | $24.99

Escaping Hitler: Stories of Courage and Endurance on the Freedom TrailsHalls, Monty
Some of the great untold stories of the Second World War concern the freedom trails, the highly dangerous escape routes out of Nazi Occupied Europe. Over 5,000 British, Commonwealth and American servicemen made the journey over the Pyrenees, the Slovenian mountains and the Italian alps. Many also died, en route, killed by the perilous conditions or caught by the German army. It was just as dangerous for the brave men and women of the resistance who kept the routes open. Including the stories of the most charismatic figures of the Second World War, men like Blondie Haslar, leader of the Cockleshell Heroes, US airman Chuck Yaeger (whose story was immortalised in The Right Stuff) and Australian Ralph Churches who orchestrated the mass escape of 100 POWs from Slovenia. There are heroes like Andree de Jongh, a young woman in her twenties who risked her life to smuggle men through occupied France, survived being sent to two concentration camps, and has been described by MI-9 as ‘the greatest of our wartime agents’). And villains like traitor Harold Cole who betrayed all the men and women who tried to help him escape France, giving their details to the Gestapo. Mixing in depth research, interviews with survivors and his own experience of walking the trails, broadcaster and former Royal Marine Monty Halls brings the past to life in this dramatic and gripping slice of military history.Military history | TP | $32.99

Mythology (75th anniversary edition)Hamilton, Edith
Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company, in 1942, Edith Hamilton’s Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the word and established itself as a perennial bestseller in its various available formats: hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, and ebook. For 75 years, readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology - from Odysseus’s adventure-filled journey, to the Norse god Odin’s effort to postpone the final day of doom. This exciting new deluxe, large-format hardcover edition, published in celebration of the book’s 75th anniversary, will be beautifully packaged, and fully illustrated throughout, with all-new, specially-commissioned, full-colour art… making it a true collector’s item.Mythology | HC | $42.99

The Battle of Britain (Ladybird Expert series)Holland, James
An accessible, insightful and authoritative account of the most famous aerial battle in history. Historian, author and broadcaster James Holland draws on the latest research and interviews with participants to bring colour, detail and a fresh perspective to the story. You’ll discover how tactics, organisation and new technologies were brought to bear, about the different challenges faced by both the RAF and the Luftwaffe, and, above all, the skill, bravery and endurance of the airmen engaged in a contest that was of critical importance to the outcome of the war.Military history | HC | $19.99

Space Is Cool As F*ckHowells, Kate
With a little help from her friends in the community (including legendary Bill Nye the Science Guy), Kate Howells has put together this kid’s book for adults, where everything you thought you could never understand about the universe is explained, in plain, old, filthy English, just like talking to an old friend for hours, after everybody’s left the party, only stocked with actual, scientifically valid information. Taking all the best bits of science and squishing it all together for the ADD generation, this book will be finding a permanent home on living room tables around the world. Featuring over 50 chapters, on subjects ranging from aliens to black holes, to the degenerate astronomer who drank all night and died from holding his bladder… and lost his nose in a duel, to the things you take for granted, until you really think about them… like matter – what the f*ck is all this shit, we’re made of?Science | HC | $75.00

100 Nasty Women of HistoryJewell, Hannah
100 fascinating and brilliantly written stories about history’s bravest, baddest, but little known ‘nasty’ women from across the world. In the final debate of the 2016 US presidential election, Donald Trump leaned into the microphone as Hillary Clinton spoke about social security and called his opponent ‘such a nasty woman’. The phrase has stuck around and has since become something of a badge of honour for women around the world. What better time than now, then, for us to look back and learn a thing or two from the ‘nasty’ women of the past? Compiled and written by BuzzFeed writer Hannah Jewell, 100 Nasty Women of History contains profiles of women from across every century, race and continent, united in the fact that they were all a bit ‘nasty’. From third-century Syrian queen Zenobia to 20th-century Nigerian women’s rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, these are the women who were bold and powerful, but maybe put people (men’s) backs up by being so. 100 Nasty Women of History is an accessible, intelligent, hilarious (and sometimes sweary) guide to the history-making women, whom you probably don’t know – but definitely should.Women’s history | TP | $32.99

Rome: A History in Seven SackingsKneale, Matthew
No city on earth has preserved its past as has Rome. Visitors stand on bridges that were crossed by Julius Caesar and Cicero, walk around temples visited by Roman emperors, and step into churches that have hardly changed since popes celebrated mass in them, sixteen centuries ago. These architectural survivals are all the more remarkable considering the violent disasters that have struck the city. Afflicted by earthquakes, floods, fires and plagues, it has most of all been repeatedly ravaged by roving armies. Rome: A History in Seven Sackings examines the most important of these attacks and reveals, with fascinating insight, how they transformed the city – and not always for the worse. From the Gauls to the Nazis, Kneale vividly recounts those threatening the city, while drawing an intense and vibrant portrait of the city and its inhabitants, both before and after being attacked. In these troubled times, when our cities can seem fragile, Rome’s history offers a picture that is both shocking and also reassuring. Romans have repeatedly shrugged off catastrophes and made their city anew.History | HC | $39.99

The Pocket Encyclopaedia of Aggravation: The Counterintuitive Guide to De-StressingLee, Laura
Let’s face it, the world is becoming an increasingly annoying place to live. This book investigates 97 day-ruining events, slap-in-the-face moments and everyday aggravations, and explains why these things irritate us quite so much. It has been scientifically proven that when we understand the science behind our daily grievances, our problems become less frustrating and easier to manage. This fact-filled book will help reduce the stress of your daily grind.Pop psychology | HC | $16.99

SAS Ghost Patrol: The Ultra-Secret Unit that Posed as Nazi StormtroopersLewis, Damien
The explosive true story of the day in 1942 when the SAS donned Nazi uniforms to perpetrate the most audacious and daring mission of the war. Beyond top secret, deniable in the extreme (and of course enjoying Churchill’s enthusiastic blessing), this is one of the most remarkable stories of wartime lawlessness, eccentricity and raw courage in the face of impossible odds – a thoroughly British undertaking. What unfolded – the longest mission ever undertaken by Allied special forces – was an epic of daring, courage, tragedy and survival that remains unrivalled to this day, and which rightly became a foundation stone of Special Forces legend. Written with Lewis’s signature authenticity and dramatic verve, SAS Ghost Patrol is peopled by a cast of the utterly maverick and the extraordinary. In its quirky eccentricities and outrageous rule breaking, this is a story that only the British could have authored, and with such panache and aplomb. It may read like the stuff of impossible myth or folklore, but every single word is true.Military history | TP | $29.99

Bletchley Park Brainteasers: Over 100 Puzzles, Riddles and Enigmas Inspired by the Greatest Minds of World War IIMcKay, Sinclair
When scouring the land for top-level code-breakers, the Bletchley Park recruiters left no stone unturned. From mathematical geniuses to sixth-form students who could read orchestral scores, chess masters, linguists, and Egyptologists who could interpret hieroglyphics, code-breakers were gathered from all around the country. Once selected, the chosen few had to complete various tests – chess puzzles, crosswords, secret language translations, complex riddles and more – to see if they had what it takes to join the country’s elite code-breaking team. Now, you can see if you have what it takes, too. Accompanied by nuggets of historical fascination such as the story of David Omand, who was asked to translate an essay written in made-up Elvish and ended up as Director of GCHQ; or Jean Valentine – who volunteered in Dundee, aged 18 – who disclosed that she loved the challenge of a cryptic crossword and found herself whisked down to Bletchley, these brain-teasing puzzles and riddles will give you a taste of what it felt like to be tested by the keenest minds in the country.Puzzles | TP | $29.99

No Front Line: Australian Special Forces at War in AfghanistanMasters, Chris
In an extraordinary investigation undertaken over ten years, Chris Masters opens up the heart of Australia’s Special Forces and their war in Afghanistan. He gives voice to the soldiers, he takes us to the centre of some of the fiercest combat Australia has ever experienced and provides the most intimate examination of what it is like to be a member of this country’s elite fighting forces. But he also asks difficult questions that reveal controversial clouds hanging over our Special Operations mission in Afghanistan. For Australia, there is no more important war to examine in detail. Afghanistan lives in our recent past and will continue to occupy our future. Masterfully told, No Front Line will find a place as one of Australia’s finest books on contemporary soldiering. ‘In this remarkable book about the intense combat environment experienced by our soldiers in Afghanistan, Chris Masters captures the highs, the lows, the courage and the sacrifice of Australian warriors and their loved ones in our longest war.’ – Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d).Military | TP | $34.99

Ballad of the Anarchist Bandits: The Crime Spree that Gripped Belle &EACUTE;poque ParisMerriman, John
Paris, 1911. Picasso, Debussy, and Proust were revolutionising art, music, and literature. Electricity had transformed the City of Lights. And the Parisian elites were mad about their fancy new cars. The Belle &EACUTE;poque was well underway, yet it was not without incident. That year, Paris was gripped by a violent crime streak that obsessed and frightened its citizens. Before Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger, the Bonnot Gang, led by the coarse Jules Bonnot, captured the minds of a nation with their Robin Hood-esque capers. With guns blazing, the Bonnot Gang robbed banks and wealthy Parisians and killed anyone who got in their way in spectacularly cinematic fashion – all in the name of their particular brand of anarchism. In Ballad of the Anarchist Bandits, John Merriman describes the Bonnot Gang’s murderous tear and the Parisian police force’s botched efforts to stop them. At the heart of the book are two anarchist idealists who wanted to find an alternative to Bonnot’s crimes and the French government’s unchecked violence. Victor Kibaltchiche and Rirette Maitrejean met and fell in love at an anarchist rally, and together ran the radical Parisian newspaper L’Anarchie, which covered the Bonnot Gang with great sympathy. The couple and their anarchist friends occupied a world far apart from the opulent Paris of the Champs Elysees. Their Paris was a vast city of impoverished workers who lived near bleak canals, cemeteries, and empty lots around smoky factories. Victor and Rirette found hope in radical politics, Bonnot and his gang in crime, but none could escape the full might of the French military. The lovers were arrested and imprisoned for their political views, Bonnot was murdered after an hours-long standoff with the police, and his gang was hunted down and sentenced to death by guillotine, or lifelong imprisonment.History | HC | $39.99

Frank Whittle: The Invention of the JetNahum, Andrew
The story of the jet engine has everything: genius, tragedy, heroism, a world war, the individual vs. the state, and an idea that would change the world. Frank Whittle always maintained that he was held back by a lack of government support. At the very moment in 1943 when his invention was unveiled to the world, his company, Power Jets, was forcibly nationalised. Yet, as Andrew Nahum shows in this brilliantly researched book, Whittle’s innovative brilliance, charm and charisma helped him recruit major support from the British government and the RAF, who gave him the green light ‘to build a jet engine’ at a time when to do so made little sense. Frank Whittle: Invention of the Jet is a story of what pushing technology to its limits can achieve, and the effect that such achievement can have on those involved.Aviation history | PBK | $22.99

Books That Changed HistoryNaughtie, James (foreword)
Turn the pages of the most famous books of all time and marvel at the stories behind them. Over 75 of the world’s most celebrated, rare, and seminal books are examined and explained in this stunning treasury. Books That Changed History is a unique encyclopaedia spanning the history of the written word, from 3000 BCE to the modern day. Chronological chapters show the evolution of human knowledge and the changing ways in which books are made. Discover incredible coverage of history’s most influential books including the Mahabharata, Shakespeare’s First Folio, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Penguin’s first ever paperbacks. From Darwin’s groundbreaking On the Origin of Species to Louis Braille’s conception of the Braille system that we still use today, these are world famous books that have had the biggest impact on history. Every book is presented with breathtaking photography and fascinating biographies of those who created them. Books That Changed History gathers dictionaries, diaries, plays, poems, treaties, and religious texts into one stunning celebration of the undisputed power of books. With a foreword by James Naughtie (British radio and news presenter for the BBC).Books | HC | $49.99

Motherfoclóir: Dispatches from a Not So Dead LanguageO Seaghdha, DarachMotherfoclóir [foclóir means ‘dictionary’ and is pronounced like a rather more vulgar English epithet] is a book based on the popular Twitter account @theirishfor. As the title suggests, Motherfoclóir takes an irreverent, pun-friendly and contemporary approach to the Irish language. The translations are expanded on and arranged into broad categories that allow interesting connections to be made, and sprinkled with anecdotes and observations about Irish and Ireland itself, as well as language in general. The author includes stories about his own relationship with Irish, and how it fits in with the most important events in his life. This is a book for all lovers of the quirks of language.Language/cultural history | HC | $27.99

The Earth GazersPotter, Christopher
For thousands of years, we have struggled to rise above the surface of the Earth. 2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the moment three human beings escaped the pull of the Earth’s gravitational field for the first time, and saw what no one had ever seen before, the Earth as a sphere falling through the empty darkness of space. Even today, only 24 people have had that experience: the Apollo astronauts who went on the nine manned missions to the moon that took place between 1968 and 1972. The astronauts returned with photographic evidence that the Earth was beautiful, seemingly fragile and different from any other heavenly body. The photographs known as Earthrise, taken during the first manned mission, and the Blue Marble, taken during the last mission, have become two of the most reproduced and most influential images of all time. They were taken almost as an afterthought and inspired a whole generation to think about our responsibility for this tiny oasis in space. In his remarkably wide-ranging book, Christopher Potter writes of the early heroic days of aviation and of the often-blemished visionaries who inspired the journey into space: Charles Lindbergh, Robert Goddard and Wernher von Braum. Now, more than ever, the need to see ourselves, from an outside perspective, is urgent. Can we learn to see ourselves for what we truly are: inhabitants of a world without borders?Science | HC | $39.99

Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and AmericaRoss, Steven J
No American city was more important to the Nazis than Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, the greatest propaganda machine in the world. The Nazis plotted to kill the city’s Jews and to sabotage the nation’s military installations: plans existed for hanging twenty prominent Hollywood figures such as Al Jolson, Charlie Chaplin, and Samuel Goldwyn; for driving through Boyle Heights and machine-gunning as many Jews as possible; and for blowing up defence installations and seizing munitions from National Guard armouries along the Pacific Coast. US law enforcement agencies were not paying close attention – preferring to monitor Reds rather than Nazis – and only Leon Lewis and his daring ring of spies stood in the way. From 1933, until the end of World War II, attorney Leon Lewis, the man Nazis would come to call ‘the most dangerous Jew in Los Angeles,’ ran a spy operation comprised of military veterans and their wives who infiltrated every Nazi and fascist group in Los Angeles. Often rising to leadership positions, this daring ring of spies uncovered and foiled the Nazi’s disturbing plans for death and destruction.History (20th century) | HC | $32.99

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our GenesRutherford, Adam
This is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history of our species – births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration and a lot of sex. In this captivating journey through the expanding landscape of genetics, Adam Rutherford reveals what our genes now tell us about human history, and what history can now tell us about our genes. From Neanderthals to murder, from redheads to race, dead kings to plague, evolution to epigenetics, this is a demystifying and illuminating new portrait of who we are and how we came to be.Genome/history of science | PBK | $22.99

The River of ConsciousnessSacks, Oliver
In his previous books, Oliver Sacks had addressed questions of the brain and mind through the lens of case histories of individuals with neurological disorders. Recently, however, he had been reflecting on his experiences with such patients in the context of a lifetime of medical practice, and in light of recent neuroscientific evidence and theories. The River of Consciousness will be a broader and more direct look at how the brain and mind work, as always, incorporating Sacks’ rich historical and personal context. Advances in neuroscience have revolutionised our ability to visualise the brain in action. For the first time, we are able to close the gap between the philosophical questions which have consumed the world’s thinkers since the eighteenth century and the true physiological basis of perception and consciousness. In The River of Consciousness, Sacks will examine questions of memory, time, and consciousness. How do we think, how do we remember? Do different individuals have different speeds or ways of thinking? Is memory reliable? How do the neural correlates of memory differ for true memories and false memories? How do we construct our sense of time, our visual world? What is consciousness, neurologically speaking? And most importantly, what is creativity?Science | TP | $32.99

The Zoomable Universe: A Step-By-Step Tour Through Cosmic Scale, from the Infinite to the InfinitesimalScharf, Caleb
Embark on a breathtaking, cutting-edge voyage through the enormity of our reality – travelling one ‘power of ten’ or order of magnitude at a time. Stops along the way – all enlivened by Scharf’s sparkling prose and original insights into the nature of our universe – include the surface of a rogue planet, the back of an elephant, and the contours of a DNA strand. Navigational aids allow readers to track their progress from one scale to the next.Science | HC | $39.99

The Glass Universe: The Hidden History of the Women Who Took the Measure of the StarsSobel, Dava
In the mid-nineteenth century, the Harvard College Observatory began employing women as calculators, or ‘human computers’, to interpret the observations their male counterparts made via telescope each night. As photography transformed the practice of astronomy, the women turned to studying images of the stars captured on glass photographic plates, making extraordinary discoveries that attracted worldwide acclaim. They helped discern what the stars were made of, divided them into meaningful categories for further research, and even found a way to measure distances across space by starlight. Elegantly written and enriched by excerpts from letters, diaries, and memoirs, The Glass Universe is the hidden history of a group of remarkable women whose vital contributions to the burgeoning field of astronomy forever changed our understanding of the stars and our place in the universe.Science/women’s history | PBK | $24.99

Animal: A Beastly CompendiumSueur-Hermel, Valérie & Mathis, Rémi
This sumptuous book presents a selection of over one hundred stunning artworks, depicting animals real and mythical, from the prints and photography collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The work opens with a preface from celebrated cultural historian Michel Pastoureau, who considers the symbolic importance of animals to our dreams and imagination. Each image is accompanied by a commentary from one of the BnF’s expert editorial team of curators and archivists, which provides information on the natural and symbolic history of the creature depicted. Featured artworks include such masterpieces as Dürer’s rhinoceros, Manet’s cats, a carp by Hiroshige and Matisse’s swan. This is a truly beautiful and authoritative collection of some of the most recognisable and accomplished works of animal-themed art, from the medieval period to the present day.Art history/zoology | HC | $60.00

The Planet Factory: Exoplanets and the Search for a Second EarthTasker, Elizabeth
Twenty years ago, the search for planets outside the Solar System was a job restricted to science-fiction writers. Now it’s one of the fastest-growing fields in astronomy with thousands of exoplanets discovered to date, and the number is rising fast. These newfound worlds are more alien than anything in fiction. Planets larger than Jupiter with years lasting a week; others with two suns lighting their skies, or with no sun at all. Planets with diamond mantles supporting oceans of tar; possible Earth-sized worlds with split hemispheres of perpetual day and night; waterworlds drowning under global oceans and volcanic lava planets awash with seas of magma. The discovery of this diversity is just the beginning. There is a whole galaxy of possibilities. Each planetary system is different, but in the beginning most if not all young stars are circled by clouds of dust, specks that come together in a violent building project that can form colossal worlds hundreds of times the size of the Earth. The changing orbits of young planets risk dooming any life evolving on neighbouring worlds or, alternatively, can deliver the key ingredients needed to seed its beginnings. Planet formation is one of the greatest construction schemes in the Universe, and it occurred around nearly every star you see. Each results in an alien landscape, but is it possible that one of these could be like our own home world?Science | PBK | $24.99

The Museum of Broken Relationships: Modern Love in 203 Everyday ObjectsVistica, Olinka & Grubisic, Drazen
What to do with the fragments of a love affair? A postcard from a childhood sweetheart. A wedding dress in a jar. Barbed wire. Silicone breast implants. Red stilettos, never worn. These objects and many others make up the inspiring, whimsical, sometimes bizarre, and always unforgettable population of the real-life Museum of Broken Relationships. A decade ago, two lovers were struggling through their own painful breakup, desperate to heal their heartbreak, without destroying the memory of the love they had shared. Then, an idea struck: they would create a communal space, a kind of refuge for – and cathartic celebration of – the everyday objects that had outlasted love. These items, along with the anonymous, intimate stories each piece represented, quickly captured hearts and imaginations across the globe. As word spread, the tiny museum became a worldwide sensation. Collected here are 203 of the best, funniest, most heart-warming and thought-provoking pieces that offer an irresistible experience of human connection.Photography/relationships | HC | $39.99

The Paper Time Machine: Colouring the PastWild, Wolfgang & Lloyd, Jordan
This is a book that will change the way you think about the past. It contains 124 historical black-and-white photographs, reconstructed in colour and introduced by Wolfgang Wild – creator and curator of the Retronaut website. The site has become a global phenomenon, collecting images that collapse the distance between the past and present and tear a hole in our map of time. The Paper Time Machine goes even further. Early photographic technology lacked a crucial ingredient – colour. As early as the invention of the medium, skilled artisans applied colour to photographs by hand, attempting to convey the vibrancy and immediacy of life in vivid detail. In most cases this was crude and unconvincing. Until now. The time-bending images in The Paper Time Machine have been painstakingly restored and rendered in full and accurate colour by Jordan Lloyd of Dynamichrome, a company that has taken the craft of colour reconstruction to a new level. Each element of every photograph has been researched and colour-checked for historical authenticity. Behold American child labourers from the early twentieth century, alongside the construction of the Statue of Liberty. Marvel at crisp photographs from the Crimean War in 1855, balanced with never-before-seen pictures from the Walt Disney archive. As the layers of colour build up, the effect is disorientingly real and the decades and centuries fall away. It is as though we are standing at the original photographer’s elbow. This is a landmark photographic book – a collection of historical ‘remixes’ that exist alongside the original photographs but draw out qualities, textures and details that have hitherto remained hidden. Let The Paper Time Machine transport you. It is as close to time travel as we are ever likely to get.Photographic arts/history | HC | $85.00

Kilted Yoga: Yoga Laid BareWilson, Finlay
Get ready to lose yourself in the wilds of Scotland, and reconnect with the natural world, in this gorgeous little book that will make you look at yoga in a whole new way – kilt optional! After recovering from an accident, Finlay Wilson found yoga was the best way to rebuild his strength. Now, a qualified yoga instructor himself, he’s decided to bring a modern take to this ancient practice, laying it bare – often quite literally. Feast your eyes on his yoga moves and discover why his Kilted Yoga video became an instant global sensation. Finlay introduces you to the fundamentals of yoga through four progressive sequences to help you develop your practice. Combining stunning photography of the Scottish Highlands with practical advice, Kilted Yoga is the inspiration you’ve been waiting for.Yoga | HC | $19.99

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of LifeYong, Ed
Your body is teeming with tens of trillions of microbes. It’s an entire world, a colony full of life. In other words, you contain multitudes. They sculpt our organs, protect us from diseases, guide our behaviour, and bombard us with their genes. They also hold the key to understanding all life on earth. Ed Yong opens our eyes and invites us to marvel at ourselves and other animals in a new light, less as individuals and more as thriving ecosystems. You’ll never think about your mind, body or preferences in the same way, again. Recommended!Science/Medicine | PBK | $22.99